Linus: "You don't believe the story of the Great Pumpkin? I thought little girls always believed everything that was told to them. I thought little girls were innocent and trusting." Sally Brown: "Welcome to the 20th century!"

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease insides of 8 (1 pint) straight sided, wide mouth canning jars. 2. In a large bowl, cream shortening and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, bananas, and water. Sift together flour, baking powder, soda, salt, cinnamon, and cloves. Add to banana mixture. Stir in nuts. 3. Pour mixture into greased WIDE MOUTH pint jars, filling 1/2 full of batter. Do NOT put lids on jars for baking. Be careful to keep the rims clean, wiping off any batter that gets on the rims. 4. Bake at 325 degrees F (165 degrees C) for 45 minutes. Meanwhile, sterilize the lids and rings in boiling water. 5. As soon as cake is done, remove from oven one at a time, wipe rims of jars and put on lid and ring. Jars will seal as cakes cool. Place the jars on the counter and listen for them to "ping" as they seal. If you miss the "ping", wait until they are completely cool and press on the top of the lid. If it doesn't move at all, it's sealed. 6. Jars should be eaten immediately or kept sealed in refrigerator for up to a week

Thursday, October 29, 2009

Breast cancer survivor Missy Fish and her cat Jack. Missy and Jack are a part of the Purina Cat Chow Connected for the Cause campaign to support Breast Cancer Awareness Month.CAPTIONBusiness WireAs Breast Cancer Awareness Month draws to a close, it's a good time to recognize our furry friends' contributions to the cause.

Not only do they allow themselves to be dressed in pink to help us garner attention, but research shows some serious medical aid on their part.

Most in the medical community now acknowledge the healing power of animals. Some doctors even write prescriptions giving hospitalized patients access to pets from home. (However, pets can still infect some with weakened immune systems -- for instance, people who've gone through chemo.)

Dogs may also have a role in diagnosis. More than five years ago studies showed that dogs can smell cancer, and more recent research has identified the chemicals that make up some of those "scent profiles."

Of course, cats and dogs are at risk of cancer themselves. For both, most cancers that afflict them can be spotted through physical exams -- checking the skin, looking in the mouth, watching for swelling, etc. But nothing you do at home can replace a vet visit.

Dogs with cancer may be able to advance the diagnosis and treatment of human cancers due to clinical and biological similarities, The National Cancer Institute reported earlier this month.

Saturday, October 24, 2009

Halloween is almost upon us .I believe you need to do it up right if you are going to do it. I for one hate seeing the "slutty...nurse...teacher...cop..."blah blah blah. Come on ladies first off it demeans & second off IT'S BORING! Ever other woman there will be wearing the same. I would love to see some of these girls put some thought into their outfits. This holiday is for stretching your imagination. Have fun , be child like. So for that feeling I give you. "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown." I love The Peanuts Gang & hope you enjoy!

For a changeLayer the trifle in juice glasses with vanilla yogurt for a holiday parfait.Directions:

1.

Using an electric mixer, beat the cream until stiff. Reserve 2 cups whipped cream for serving; refrigerate until ready to serve. 2.

In a large bowl, stir together the pumpkin, vanilla, cinnamon, ginger, cloves and salt. Fold in half of the marshmallow cream, then half of the whipped cream. Repeat with the remaining marshmallow cream and whipped cream until combined. 3.

In a medium bowl, sprinkle the gingersnaps with rum. 4.

Spoon one-third of the pumpkin mousse into a clear glass serving bowl, spreading evenly, and sprinkle half of the cookies on top. Repeat with half of the remaining mousse and the remaining cookies, then top with the final layer of mousse. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to serve, at least 1 hour and up to 4 hours. Just before serving, top with the reserved whipped cream and sprinkle with the crushed gingersnaps.

Sunday, October 18, 2009

Yay for my fellow petite girl that shows that even short girls can look good. While going to a personal trainer she told me to find my celb body twin. Or in my case wanna be body twin. You had to find a celb that is your height and bone structure. Then shoot for the goal of being built like them. Well Reese was mine. Although I didn't get to that goal yet. When I see her I think about that goal.

Saturday, October 17, 2009

There are absolutely no doubts: floral prints utilizzatissime have always been in fashion, especially in the summer collections. But why stop at simple prints? Wherever one looks, from spring onwards, we find pretty petunias, geraniums and bright colored begonias. Surely their bright colors and their delicate scents they put us in a good mood, so why not wear them? And the same idea was definitely the designer and eco artist Nicole Dextras, who has taken a step forward from the so-called "fashion of the flower", designing a collection called Weedrobes, designed by a very intricate fabric composed of 100% plants. This series of dresses, as well as breathtaking for their spectacular nature, they are actually sculpted flowers to wear, making it possible to make a compelling report on our body and the environment. The eco-clothing Weedrobes consisting of living materials as leaves, flowers and branches and their organic structure seeks to underline the strong symbiotic relationship between the body and the earth, which often takes second place in the world of fashion.

Mix these two ingredients together to form a smooth paste. This is called a Beurre Manie or kneaded butter.

1 cup milk

¼ cup sugar

Bring the milk and sugar to a boil and add the Beurre Manie, whisking until a thick smooth paste has developed. Remove from heat and let cool. You can pop the pan right into the refrigerator. In another bowl, blend together the following ingredients:

4 large egg yolks

3 tablespoons sour apple liqueur or apple juice

½ apple, peeled, cored and diced very smallWhen the milk paste has cooled, add the egg yolk mixture. This is the base for the soufflé. It can be held, tightly wrapped, for about a week in the refrigerator.

4 large egg whites

2 tablespoons sugar

Whip the egg whites until frothy and then add the sugar. When it has achieved a soft peak, it is ready to be folded into the base mixture. The whipped whites do not have to be a totally incorporated; you can have it looking marbleized and it will still rise nicely.

You should prepare the soufflé dish or dishes by first buttering them, then putting sugar inside to coat the dish. This idea is similar to buttering and flouring a cake pan, except you are using butter and sugar. This is so the souffle will have something to cling to as it rises -- kind of like a mountain climber needing the rocks of a mountain to reach the top.

The souffle' mixture is poured into the prepared dish or dishes all the way to the top and the top is smoothed. Bake at 375 degrees for about 30 minutes for the single, large souffl, or 15 minutes for smaller, individual ones.

Saturday, October 3, 2009

Fall is here ( ok not so much in Tucson yet but...) & I have been sick with a cold . What I need right now is comfort. This movie is one of those for me. A little Hanks and Ryan to make it all better. AAAHHH....This sweet romantic comedy reunites "Sleepless In Seattle" stars Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks. He's the owner of a bookstore chain; she's the woman he falls for online. Both are unaware that she runs the little shop his company is trying to shut down."Someone you pass on the street may already be the love of your life."with 2 dishes to comfort me( now if I could only get honey to fix it :).....You've Got Mac & Cheese...